Flame Con
{{Short description|LGBTQ+ multi-genre fan convention in the United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox Convention
|name = Flame Con
|image = Flame Con Logo.png
|alt =
|caption =
|status = Active
|genre = LGBTQ-focused comic convention
|venue = Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel
|location = New York City
|coordinates =
|country = United States
|first = {{start date and age|2015|6|13|p=yes}}
|last = August 12–13, 2023
|next = August 17–18, 2024
|organizer = Geeks OUT
|filing = Non-profit
|website = http://www.flamecon.org
|footnotes =
}}
File:Jubilant (18614107969).jpger dressed as Jubilee at the inaugural Flame Con on June 13, 2015, at Grand Prospect Hall]]
Flame Con is an annual two-day multi-genre entertainment and comic convention, focused on fans and creators of pop culture who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). Launched in 2015, it is the first LGBTQ comic convention in New York City, and the largest LGBTQ comic convention in the world.
Programming
Flame Con is organized by Geeks OUT, a non-profit organization aimed at organizing LGBTQ events at comic conventions. The convention is a multi-genre event, showcasing LGBTQ-inclusive pop culture across comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, movies, and television. Flame Con features panel discussions, workshops, and an exhibitors floor. The convention is launched with an annual kick-off party, which features a dance party and drag performances.
In partnership with the Ali Forney Center, the Sunday of each Flame Con is designated as "Youth Day", in which attendees under the age of 20 are granted free admission.
History
Flame Con launched as a Kickstarter campaign in November 2014, with a fundraising goal of $15,000. The campaign would ultimately raise over $19,000, and was inaugurated as a one-day convention in June 2015. The following year, Flame Con moved from Grand Prospect Hall to the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, and expanded to two days of programming.
After the 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub, Flame Con instituted a ban on all prop weapons at the convention, including those used in cosplay. In 2018, Flame Con relocated from Brooklyn to Manhattan to be held at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. The convention switched to a lottery system to assign exhibitor space in 2019, and launched a mentorship program with artist Jen Bartel that same year. In 2020, Flame Con was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An online-online version of the event was held in 2021, and the convention returned to a in-person event in 2022.
=Event history=
See also
References
{{reflist|30em|refs=
|url= https://www.out.com/popnography/2015/6/17/flame-con-nys-first-queer-comic-con-hosted-more-2200-guests-brooklyn
|title= Holy Flame Con, Batman!
|last= Chan
|first= Edwin
|date= June 6, 2015
|work= Out
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/06/02/flame_con_brings_queer_people_and_comics_together.html
|title= Queers and Comics Meet at Flame Con
|last= Cracker
|first= Miz
|date= June 2, 2015
|work = Slate
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/geeks-out-empowers-lgbtq-geeks-at-flame-con-and-beyond
|title= Geeks OUT empowers LGBTQ+ geeks at Flame Con and beyond
|last= Granshaw
|first= Lisa
|date= June 22, 2017
|work= SyFy Wire
|access-date= May 12, 2018
|archive-date= May 13, 2018
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180513155014/http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/geeks-out-empowers-lgbtq-geeks-at-flame-con-and-beyond
|url-status= dead
}}
|url= https://www.flamecon.org/flame-con-returns/
|title= World's Largest Queer Comic Con Announces Fourth Annual Flame Con
|date= January 23, 2015
|publisher = Flame Con
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= http://www.newnownext.com/help-queer-geeks-ignite-flame-con-the-first-lgbt-comic-con-in-new-york/11/2014/
|title= Help Queer Geeks Ignite "Flame Con," The First LGBT Comic Con in New York
|last= Avery
|first= Dan
|date= November 9, 2014
|work= NewNowNext
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= http://www.comicsbeat.com/flame-con-moves-to-times-square-for-2018/
|title= FLAME CON moves to Times Square for 2018
|last= Nugent
|first= Edie
|date= January 25, 2018
|work= Comics Beat
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geeksout/flame-con-nycs-first-lgbtq-comic-con
|title= Flame Con – NYC's First LGBTQ Comic Con!
|last= Geeks OUT
|date= November 4, 2014
|publisher = Kickstarter
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= http://geeksout.org/blogs/geeks-out/geeks-out-announces-third-annual-flame-con-new-york
|title= Geeks OUT Announces Third Annual Flame Con in New York
|last= Geeks OUT
|date= June 20, 2017
|publisher= Geeks OUT
|access-date= May 12, 2018
|archive-date= May 13, 2018
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180513152403/http://geeksout.org/blogs/geeks-out/geeks-out-announces-third-annual-flame-con-new-york
|url-status= dead
}}
|url= http://www.newnownext.com/thousands-of-gay-geeks-unite-at-flame-con-new-yorks-first-lgbt-comic-con/06/2015/
|title= Thousands of Gay Geeks Unite at Flame Con, New York's First LGBT Comic Con
|last= Avery
|first= Dan
|date= June 15, 2015
|work= NewNowNext
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= http://news.bitofnews.com/out-of-the-closet-and-into-comics-flame-con-and-why-it-matters/
|title= Out of the Closet and into Comics: Flame Con and Why it Matters
|last= Sweatman
|first= Kathryn
|date= June 22, 2015
|work= Washington Blade
|access-date= May 12, 2018
|archive-date= May 13, 2018
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180513152534/http://news.bitofnews.com/out-of-the-closet-and-into-comics-flame-con-and-why-it-matters/
|url-status= dead
}}
|url= http://www.flamecon.org:80/
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160821012509/http://www.flamecon.org:80/
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= August 21, 2016
|title= Flame Con 2016 official website (via archive)
|date= August 21, 2016
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= https://www.flamecon.org/
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170816091911/https://www.flamecon.org/
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= August 16, 2017
|title= Flame Con 2017 official website (via archive)
|date= August 16, 2017
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= https://www.flamecon.org/guests/
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180924125051/https://www.flamecon.org/guests/
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= September 24, 2018
|title= Flame Con 2018 Guests (via archive)
|date= May 12, 2018
|access-date= March 6, 2019
}}
|url= http://www.revelist.com/pop-culture/flamecon-weapons-policy/4377
|title= New York's biggest LGBT geek convention banned prop guns to honor Orlando
|last= McNally
|first= Victoria
|date= August 22, 2016
|work= Revelist
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/22/12005650/flame-con-bans-gun-cosplay-orlando-shooting
|title= An LGBTQ fan convention is banning toy guns after the Orlando shooting
|last= Robertson
|first= Adi
|date= June 22, 2016
|work= The Verge
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url= https://www.timeout.com/newyork/lgbt/flame-con-firestarter
|title= Flame Con: Firestarter
|date= August 16, 2017
|work= Time Out New York
|access-date= May 12, 2018
}}
|url=http://www.flamecon.org:80/
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611131218/http://www.flamecon.org:80/
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=June 11, 2015
|title= Flame Con 2015 official website (via archive)
|date= June 11, 2015
|access-date= May 28, 2018
}}
|url= http://www.comicsbeat.com/flame-con-was-lit-with-new-record-attendance-and-overflowing-joy/
|title= Flame Con Was Lit with New Record Attendance and Overflowing Joy
|last= MacDonald
|first= Heidi
|date= August 22, 2018
|publisher = Comics Beat
|access-date= August 24, 2018
}}
|url= https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/exclusive-flame-con-dates-and-location-revealed-plus-a-look-at-some-new-flamies
|title= Exclusive: Flame Con 2019 dates and location revealed, plus a look at some new Flamies
|last= Silliman
|first= Brian
|date= December 13, 2018
|publisher= Syfy
|access-date= December 13, 2018
|archive-date= December 13, 2018
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181213201854/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/exclusive-flame-con-dates-and-location-revealed-plus-a-look-at-some-new-flamies
|url-status= dead
}}
|url= https://www.comicsbeat.com/flame-con-returns-to-times-square-in-2019-heres-your-ticket-and-exhibitor-info/
|title= FLAME CON returns to Times Square in 2019: here's your ticket and exhibitor info
|last= Nugent
|first= Edie
|date= January 4, 2019
|publisher = Comics Beat
|access-date= March 6, 2019
}}
|url= https://www.comicsbeat.com/jen-bartel-announces-flamecon-2019-mentorship-program/
|title= Jen Bartel Announces FlameCon 2019 Mentorship Program for 2 Selected Artists
|last= Puc
|first= Samantha
|date= March 4, 2019
|publisher = Comics Beat
|access-date= March 6, 2019
}}
|url= https://www.polygon.com/the-polygon-show/2018/7/19/17591066/the-polygon-show-upcoming-live-events-flamecon-nyc-play
|title= The Polygon Show's upcoming live events
|last= Oh
|first= Ashley
|date= August 8, 2018
|work = Polygon
|access-date= March 21, 2019
}}
|url= https://www.them.us/story/flame-con-2018
|title= 7 Reasons Why We Want to Live at the World's Queerest Comic Con
|last= Rude
|first= Mey
|date= August 20, 2018
|work = them.
|access-date= March 21, 2019
}}
|url= https://www.flamecon.org/guests/
|title= Flame Con 2019 guests
|date= March 25, 2019
|work = Flame Con
|access-date= March 25, 2019
}}
|url= http://www.newnownext.com/flame-con-2019-sabrina-cosplay-gay-mutant-love/08/2019/
|title= "Sabrina" Cosplay and Gay Mutant Love: 5 Takeaways From Flame Con 2019
|last= Hay
|first= Carla
|date= August 20, 2019
|work= NewNowNext
|access-date= August 25, 2019
}}
}}
External links
{{commons category|Flame Con}}
- [https://www.flamecon.org/ Flame Con official website]
{{Multigenre conventions in North America}}
Category:Comics conventions in the United States
Category:Multigenre conventions
Category:Fan conventions in the United States
Category:Annual events in New York City
Category:Recurring events established in 2015